Club Nomadic Day 3

Taylor Swift closes out Club Nomadic with her only show of 2017 in dazzling concert

Superstar Taylor Swift performed her first — and last —concert of the year at Club Nomadic Saturday night, as a crowd of 9,000 jammed the temporary venue for its farewell Super Bowl concert. “As far as I know I'm doing one show in 2017. As far as I know, this is that one show," Swift told the crowd. "By coming here tonight you are essentially attending 100 percent of this year’s tour dates, so thank you."

Around 11:30 pm, the singer, wearing a black sequin-and-fringe mini dress and black bedazzled booties, appeared in a cloud of smoke and launched into "The Night is Still Young" (and "So Are We," the crowd sang along, waving LED wristbands that flashed bright colors to the music), "New Romantics" (the bonus track from her hit album 1989), and "Blank Space." The hits kept coming throughout the nearly two-hour concert, with such favorites as "Bad Blood," "We Are Never Getting Back Together," "Out of the Woods," "You Belong With Me," "All Too Well," and "Wildest Dreams" during the 17-song set.

Swift also offered the first live performance of her new ballad, "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" from the new Fifty Shades Darker movie. Before performing an acoustic version of the song she apologized that her collaborator Zayn Malik wasn't there to join her on the duet and asked the crowd to take his place.

In a segment about top-selling songs she has written, Swift performed "Better Man," a No. 1 country song she wrote for Little Big Town — it's the first time she has performed the song live — and an acoustic version of Rihanna's "This Is What You Came For," which she and her ex, Calvin Harris co-wrote.

And, to no one's surprise, she ended the show with her monster hit, "Shake It Off," telling the crowd, "It's time to dance."

The show was vintage Swift, with high energy songs punctuated by a slower segment in the middle in which she showcased her considerable talents on the guitar and a silver baby grand piano. Throughout each song, kicky graphics and awe-inspiring photos flashed on a screen that ran the length of the long stage in the slick production.

The only thing that wasn't perfect was Swift's hairdo. She experienced a bad case of "Houston hair," as her blond locks went limp amid the heat and humidity in the venue as the show progressed. But it didn't seem to slow her down as she wiped the sweat from her face often between songs and then resumed her trademark movements, with a flip of the head and a nod to the crowd.

Celebrities turned out in droves for the concert, which was billed as DIRECTV Now Super Saturday Night. Olympians Simone Biles and Aly Reisman posed for photos with John Legend on the the red carpet and Legend's wife, Chrissy Teigen, seemed in better spirits than the night before when she refused to be photographed.

Other celebs included New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall and Heisman winner Tim Tebow, both wearing white shirts, actors Chris Evans, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Renner, and Adrian Grenier, actress Lea Michelle, TV personality Maria Menounos, and quarterbacks Tony Romo and Eli Manning.

Orange is the New Black co-star Ruby Rose DJed sets before and after Swift's appearance.

Although a temporary venue, Club Nomadic got high marks as a concert space. Organizers added a walkway over the gravel leading to the venue, which made walking in high heels much easier for the ladies, and, inside, it was easy to move around even amid the large crowd. The acoustics were excellent and, although the venue is large, it seemed intimate as we stood only about 40 feet from the stage in the general admission section during Swift's performance.

While there was a long Uber line at the end, traffic in the area was surprisingly easy to navigate. After the concert, my friends and I walked a few block to Washington and easily called Uber to take us home in a matter of minutes.

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Taylor Swift set list:

New Romantics
22
Blank Space
I Knew You Were Trouble
Style
I Don't Wanna Live Forever
You Belong With Me
This Is What You Came For
Better Man
Red
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Love story
All Too Well
Enchanted/Wildest Dreams medley
Bad Blood
Out of the Woods
Shake It Off

Kicky graphics appeared on a large screen behind the stage throughout the Taylor Swift concert.

Getty Images for DIRECTV

Kicky graphics appeared on a large screen behind the stage throughout the Taylor Swift concert.

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weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this Easter weekend

Photo courtesy of New Edition

New Edition will perform at the Toyota Center this Saturday.

It’s Easter weekend, which means lots of people will be gathering with their families for a special brunch.

For those parents who don’t want to take their kids to another dang Easter egg hunt, several Disney-related happenings are going down this weekend, including a chance to see Disney characters get their Alysa Liu on.

Photo courtesy of New Edition

New Edition will perform at the Toyota Center this Saturday.

Houstonians can also attend a “conspiracy theory night,” a musical adaptation of a beloved summer blockbuster, and live music from Ronnie, Bobby, Johnny, Ricky, and Mike (don’t forget about Ralph)!

Thursday, April 2

Mid Main Houston presents First Thursday Block Party
Let’s see what the folks at Mid Main Houston have geared up this month’s First Thursday Block Party. The Orange Show for Visionary Art is this month’s nonprofit partner. Mermaid Junction, Tarot Bingo, Beetle, and Alex Lambert will provide live music, while DJ Boogie Soul spins in the breezeway. Artist Abigail Simpson will be showing her solo exhibition State of Feeling at Mid Main Gallery. Also, traveling Top Chef finalist Dawn Burrell's pop-up Philly Jawn will be serving cheesesteaks at Alley Kat Bar & Lounge, with DJ Flash Gordon Parks serving up tunes. 6 pm.

Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University presents Opening Reception for Moody Project Wall: Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin
Celebrate the opening of interdisciplinary artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin’s collaborative installation at Moody Project Wall, titled I remember this one time. . . Vaughan and Margolin draw on their joint, research-driven practice, which pieces together fragments of LGBTQ+ history to uncover, reanimate, and share stories that might otherwise be lost. The installation includes personal memories, archival histories, images, objects, and ephemera collected from Rice students and the Houston area. Through Saturday, August 15. 6 pm.

Doc’s Jazz Club presents Doc’s Presents: Veronica Swift
Doc’s Jazz Club (located in the historic Montrose building that housed the Tower Theatre) celebrates its half-year milestone and Jazz Appreciation Month with a new concert series set to light up the marquee on Thursday nights. The season begins with a performance by jazz sensation Veronica Swift. A couple Thursdays from now, rising star/former The Voice contestant Wyatt Michael will join forces with The Graeme Francis Orchestra to perform the Sinatra at the Sands live album in its entirety. 7 & 9:30 pm.

Friday, April 3

CLASS Bookstore Presents: The Tin Foil Kufi Symposium - April 2026 Edition
Do you have a conspiracy theory that you’ve wanted to discuss with a group of like-minded ~~crackpots~~ thinkers? Thankfully, CLASS Bookstore now has a monthly night for people to present their theories, no matter how weird or unbelievable they may sound. So, whether you think the Illuminati is real, Tupac and Biggie are lounging on a beach somewhere, or Sydney Sweeney is a government decoy set up to lure dudebros into going MAGA (that’s one been on our minds), you now have a place to call home. 7 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Mr Nobody Against Putin
Pasha Talankin is a beloved Russian primary-school teacher, mentor, and prankster. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Talankin is forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and is horrified by the transformation of his school and community. He soon becomes an international whistleblower, documenting the rise of militarized children’s groups, repressive laws, and fervent nationalism. Winner of multiple film-festival awards, Mr Nobody Against Putin also won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Houston Symphony presents Disney’s Fantasia In Concert
Let’s say you convinced your fam to see Disney’s 1940 masterwork Fantasia back when you were eight. But since the movie’s music is mostly classical, you dipped out during the dancing-hippos section and never finished watching it. Here's the chance to rectify the situation. Stunning animation will fill the giant screen at Jones Hall while the Houston Symphony brings the soundtrack to life, including favorites like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. 7:30 pm (2 & 7:30 pm Saturday).

Theatre Under the Stars presents Back to the Future the Musical
Back to the Future, the beloved cinematic classic, is now a Broadway musical. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now, he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. The production features original music by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard alongside hit songs from the movie. 8 pm (7:30 pm Thursday; 2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7:30 pm Sunday).

Saturday, April 4

Disney On Ice: Jump In!
In Disney On Ice: Jump In!, classic characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy use the Magical MousePad to journey into the heart of other Disney tales, including Moana 2 and Inside Out 2 — bringing new characters like Anxiety to the ice for the first time. Audiences will also see Stitch from Lilo & Stitch, the bustling metropolis of Zootopia, the icy realms of Frozen, the playful universe of Toy Story, the vibrant world of Encanto, and Disney princesses like Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel, and Tiana. 11 am, 3 & 7 pm (7 pm Thursday; 11 am, 3 & 7 pm Friday; 3 pm Sunday).

Karbach Brewing Co. and Space Center Houston present Space News & Brews
Karbach Brewing Co. will team up with Space Center Houston for an unforgettable afternoon of craft beer and cosmic conversation. Mingle with fellow space enthusiasts and enjoy an exclusive ask-me-anything session with NASA astronaut Toni Antonelli and space expert Chris Matty. Attendees will be able to immerse themselves in a pub-style discussion with space experts about important space science and exploration news they may have missed, plus what’s coming up that they'll want to learn about. 2 pm.

Cactus Music presents George Ducas – In-Store Performance
Galveston-born, Grammy-nominated country singer George Ducas has had multiple Billboard chart hits, including his signature breakout “Lipstick Promises," and has even written hit records for all-timers like George Jones, Garth Brooks, The Chicks, and Trisha Yearwood. After dropping his 2024 effort Long Way From Home, Ducas is now that person moving the sound forward, while always respecting what has come before him. He’ll be performing songs from Home and others during a live performance at Cactus Music this weekend. 3 pm.

New Edition in concert with Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton
The New Edition Way Tour brings together three of music’s most enduring and influential acts: New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton. The concert celebrates music, legacy, and connection, offering fans an opportunity to experience the legendary artists performing together. New Edition stands as the ultimate supergroup, paving the way for the modern boy band phenomenon that inspired groups like New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and the K-pop phenomenon. 8 pm.

Sunday, April 5

Bunnies on the Bayou 47
Bunnies on the Bayou returns to Sesquintennial Park in downtown Houston, celebrating its 47th year with a bold affirmation of life, love, and collective power under the 2026 theme, Resistance in Bloom. The park will transform into an outdoor celebration of music, movement, and community. People can expect live DJs on the main stage, dancing, sponsor activations, drinks, food for purchase, and shared moments that remind us why gathering still matters. This is a 21+ event with no exceptions. 1 pm.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Zootopia 2
Hop on over to Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown for an Easter celebration that’s big on magic and even bigger on fun. Enjoy the springtime atmosphere at the outdoor venue, where kids get to meet the Easter Bunny when the doors open. It all leads up to a rooftop screening of the recent hit sequel Zootopia 2, featuring everyone’s favorite bunny detective, Judy Hopps. Seating is first-come-first-serve, and no outside food or drink allowed. 3 pm.

Houston Polo Club 2026 Season
The Houston Polo Club returns with world-class play, champagne moments, and a social scene unlike anywhere else in the city. Its 2026 season features 10 spring matches and 10 fall matches, each of which features a player parade, expert announcing, live music, a champagne divot stomp at halftime, and a special trophy presentation. Things will kick off this weekend with the Spring Cup, where kids can bring their Easter baskets for a candy toss at halftime. 5 pm.

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